Customer Reviews

Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare Graphic Novels) (No Fear Shakespeare Illustrated)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have taught English 9 to learning disabled students in a small-group setting for ten years. I used this graphic novel for the first time this year (2010-2011), having used parallel texts (Shakespeare on one page and modern English on the opposite page) in previous years. Since we have to read the text together--because of the students' decoding and comprehension deficits, and it is written as a comic rather than a play (with designated parts), I had students volunteer, two at a time. They would take turns with one reading a page and then the other, the next page. It went well. The students loved it and were actually enthusiastic. The one thing that probably isn't so necessary for 9th grade is the footnotes with explanations of sexual connotations in some of the scenes. Although I skipped over this, the students didn't.

At any rate, my students understood the content more easily than with the parallel texts. Most of my students are struggling readers who have trouble comprehending text, particularly the language of Shakespeare. Even so, they need to be exposed to his plays, the author, the time period, and all that goes with this writer.

Along with plot, I was still able to teach literary devices--irony, idioms, metaphors and similes, etc., and because the students weren't struggling to understand what the text meant, they were able to pay more attention to the use of literary devices--what they were, and what they meant.

Therefore, I would most definitely recommend this book as an aide to assist students before beginning the real play, or to use with struggling readers who simply need to be exposed to Shakespeare.

Graphic novels have often been thought of as less than appropriate in the high school classroom - but I say use whatever works to get students to read and pique their interest on a subject. Most high school students dread Shakespeare, even his best known work - Romeo & Juliet. Last year I used two graphic versions to teach the play, this one and a manga alternative. This graphic novel used a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's language - so it is easier to read and understand - great for a struggling class that might normally avoid reading the play altogether. We're ordering more for my school next year. The one thing that would help this version is having it in color - it is a black and white graphic novel. Students really responded and I was amazed how many actually read their homework assignments! A great resource, whether you use it to teach or have it for struggling students, it does the job well!

The concept of adapting a Shakespeare play into the graphic novel format is at the very least a worthwhile endeavor. A successful attempt could bridge the widening gap between the generation that read the works of the Bard in the classroom without any significant visual aid and those who are more attuned to visual accompaniment to their stories. Shakespeare never wrote his plays to be read as words on a page without a visual attached, so already this sounds like a good idea.

The illustrations are modern and accessible, and while the text isn't the same as what Shakespeare wrote, it is translated sensibly, and the edits are pretty smooth.

But who's this best suited for? The graphic novel format may lead one to believe that anyone who's capable of following illustrated stories (comic books, manga, animated programs, etc.) will be able to comprehend the story, but this is not the case. Despite a good translation, the story is still just as intricate, carefully crafted and multi-layered as the original. Perhaps a more "dumbed down" translation would have benefitted the graphic novel concept, since some of the longer speeches (including Queen Mab) are woefully ill suited to this type of format.

Also, and this is mostly a warning to parents of junior high and high school students, some of Shakespeare's bawdiest jokes and sexual puns are spelled out quite graphically in the translation. This book is not rated, but I would NOT recommend it be published with a warning about this!

Recommended only for fans of the play who want to see an old favorite from a different angle. NOT recommended for anyone who expects an easy path to understand the play (which should be seen live or via DVD, ideally--even a poorly performed play is better than a play without any performance at all) .

I didn't receive the correct item! I received the sparknotes for Romeo and Juliet when I was expecting the graphic novel. I was ordering the graphic novel for my students to use as a classroom resource, but I guess that won't be happening.

I enjoyed this interesting adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. It has been a challenge to find supplimental material to help my students understand and appreciate the drama and humor in this fine work of art. I often begin with an adapted version of the tale for my young readers. Visit [...] to review. L Heflick

Written in "modern English".

My 10 years old told me he wanted to know the story of Romeo and Juliet. Still a bit long for him to read, but he really enjoys it. The graphics are pretty good, and the format of presenting such a classic is fantastic. He is still interested to give it a try (later) in "older English).

This graphic novelization of Shakespeare's most famous -- but maybe not his best -- play absolutely stunned me. I've already read the play twice and seen I-don't-know-how-many recreations on stage, in film, and on television, and so I confess my expectations for this newer interpretation were quite low. What fresh air could a graphic novel possibly breathe into a story so common it's become a cliche? You'll be surprised. Or at least I was.

For one thing, the artwork is fabulous: beautiful, inventive, playful, modern. For another, the novel uses modified English that communicates Shakespeare's themes clearly but doesn't water them down. This version of the play will be an exciting tool in my classroom -- already I wish I had bought thirty copies instead of just one -- but more than that, it is a piece of art in itself. When I hit the last page, when the Capulets and the Montagues finally reconciled their age-old rivalry, I felt my eyeballs burn with tears, as though I were reading Romeo & Juliet for the first time. It's that good. Highly recommended, even if you're not an English teacher who, like me, is just looking for stuff to help him teach the play for the first time.

I purchased this book to help my daughter with understanding the play she was working on in school. The book explains the story to the reader so that they can truly get a feel for what the story is about from beginning to end.

I had been waiting for years for something like this to come out, so when this came out I was so happy. Since it's from the No Fear Shakespeare line, I knew it was going to be modern English since that was the point of the book.

My main complaint about the book was the dialogue and some of the art formating. I kind of wish some of the dialogue would sound more realistic instead of being so weighed down and formal sounding. I think if it was the original language from the play, it would be very hard to format. The art formating was ok, but there were parts were I was confused as to what was going on as a lot of the characters looked a little to familiar at certain angles.

Overall it made some parts easy to understand since it was shown. It was very good, and I would be looking for more of these graphic novels since it was very enjoyable to read.

I was very disappointed with this book as it is in comic form & I really don't like it. I guess I should have paid more attention as to what I was ordering. Nobody's fault but my own.